The coalition is concerned there exists at ESPN a “lack of sensitivity to persons of faith and a culture of religious intolerance.” To support this position view the link listed below showing ESPN anchor Chris Berman using the term “Jesus” and “Goddamn” in the workplace.

The Christian Defense Coalition will be calling on ESPN to take three positive steps toward building a culture of religious tolerance in their workplace:

*Discipline or terminate any employee that uses religiously intolerant and hateful language such as “Goddamn” or the negative use of “Jesus Christ” in the workplace.

*Sponsor a workplace seminar and dialogue on religious tolerance and discrimination in the workplace. ESPN has held similar seminars on race and gender but never on religion.

*Host a discussion on one of their programs featuring the topic of the offensive use of “Goddamn” and “Jesus Christ” within the sports world.

It is the goal of the Christian Defense Coalition to help ESPN realize the negative use of “Jesus Christ” and “Goddamn” in the workplace is as offense and hateful as using the term “nigger” in the workplace.

I tell ya, those Christians are funny. We had this come up around January 23, and it provided many — especially me — with a good laugh. But they’re really earnest about this stuff. God damn it ESPN, why do you hate Jesus so much, and why do you hate America?

It’s ironic that it’s Christians whining about intolerance when the book the religion is based around promotes misogyny and slavery and genocide. In the U.S., could it have been anyone other than Christians who would have started the God Hates Fags website? Are you surprised a Christian, Jerry Falwell, said about 9/11:

I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way — all of them who have tried to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say “you helped this happen.

As I mentioned in my previous entry on religious whining, these Christian nut-cases have no jurisdiction on Berman’s behavior (most of which is from 2000, as you can see in the videos), nor on Dana Jacobsen’s. And since they’re talking about tolerance, why don’t they heed Voltaire?

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Retired slugger Jose Canseco says Roger Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, lied in the Mitchell Report and is lying when he says Clemens used steroids and human growth hormone.

“Absolutely, he’s lying and he’s a dirty liar,” Canseco said in a phone interview Sunday.

[…]

“McNamee is a point-blank liar because Roger never showed up at my house,” Canseco said. “It’s up to Roger’s people to find out why McNamee is saying these things. I think he was pressured by someone into saying them.”

“I’m 1,000% sure Roger never showed up at the party. We didn’t talk then.”

I think this is a super-interesting turn of events. It seems like everyone has jumped off Roger Clemens’ bus and hopped on Brian McNamee’s, and given some of the things that Canseco has said that have turned out to be true, a lot of people are labeling Canseco a credible source. Now you’ve got the two squaring off! How will the public reconcile this?

Just so you know, the owner of the Cubs said “[Fuck] you” to a female company employee last week. Just so you know, he asked workers at a staff meeting to inform him if they find good porn sites on the Internet. And, just so you know, he defended running strip-joint ads in the respectable Los Angeles Times by saying some of his best friends go to such clubs, reportedly adding, “Everyone likes [pussy]. It’s un-American not to like [pussy].”

The Phillies are apparently a lot more serious about free-agent pitcher Kris Benson than they’ve let on.

Benson has thrown privately for Phillies scout Chuck LaMar twice in the last week, a baseball source said after Benson’s most recent audition yesterday in Atlanta. Benson’s agent, Gregg Clifton, confirmed the private workouts last night.

LaMar apparently has liked what he has seen.

“We have interest,” assistant general manager Ruben Amaro said last night. “We’re talking to his agent.”

I don’t see why the Phillies haven’t signed Benson already. He’ll take a relatively cheap one-year deal with the understanding he’ll have to show he still has his stuff and that he can stay healthy before he gets slotted in the starting rotation. If Benson can meet that criteria, he’d push Adam Eaton out of the starting rotation, and could possibly allow the Phillies to trade him before he causes any more damage.

If Benson still has his stuff, he’ll be slightly below league-average at worst (lowest ERA+ was 88 in 2003) and well above league-average at best (highest ERA+ was 121 in 2000). It’s more likely he’ll be between the two and be just around league-average, which is all you’d ask of a #5 pitcher. Eaton and his 73 ERA+ can take a hike.